Looks good Michael, as Tri said we all will need to get together and have a photo shoot. My bumper should be done next week and I wil have it installed by the following week. I actually dig the additional skid plate that looks really clean.

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With any luck at all, my new bumper will be dirty and scratched by the following week

Thanks! I'm happy with how it turned out. I completed installation of the winch and PIAA 510 lights (Aluminess will mechanically install them for you but they don't hook up the electrical).

On the Smittybilt SRC 10 COMP winch, the provided power cables were exactly long enough to reach the main battery with enough slack for good routing and proper attachment. I did a quick static pull to about 4K to condition the synthetic line and it loaded onto the spool with no problem.

I was able to do a quick and dirty install on the driving lights by using the 12v from the existing light harness to power the relay for the PIAA 510 lights. The entire installation process consisted of plugging in the lights and inserting one 14 ga wire into the old light's harness plug. A little taping, some tie wraps, and it was done! The lights are controlled by the dash switch the same as the previous fog lights (which means no driving lights with high beams) but I'll go back and clean up (shorten and better route) the wiring later.

There is a mod floating around to allow using the fog lights with the high beams as I recall. For now, the installation is complete and I will be taking it out this weekend to get it dirty

Hi there michael I just wanted to comment on how your bumper came out. It's
exactly what I've been wanting with the extra coverage of the suspension & what not I've been waiting a long time to get this bumper. Did they install the bumper for you? & if so how long did that take? And if I may ask how much extra did they charge for this if any?

Hi there michael I just wanted to comment on how your bumper came out. It's
exactly what I've been wanting with the extra coverage of the suspension & what not I've been waiting a long time to get this bumper. Did they install the bumper for you? & if so how long did that take? And if I may ask how much extra did they charge for this if any?

Thanks

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Aluminess was very helpful in modifying the side flares of the bumper to cover more of the suspension area. The mods to the bumper, the front receiver, and the skid plate were extras but the additional cost was very reasonable.

My modification reduces the approach angle directly in front of the tires (from the original Aluminess bumper design) but it is still significantly improved over the stock Tacoma bumper.

Installation of the bumper was included in the cost. Along with the bumper, Aluminess will install a winch and lights if you provide them, but they do not hook hook up the electrical for either. Hooking up the lights and winch are very easy to do yourself.

Installation at their shop took around three hours as I recall. They are very easy to deal with and are interested in creating the bumper you want.

If you have any questions on the construction of the bumper, I'd be happy to take some photos for you. I recommended to Dave that he call my bumper design an "expedition" bumper, so ask for that style if you like mine.

I took my new Aluminess bumper out this weekend for a shake-down. It worked just fine with some minor adjustments on the trail. The approach angle is much improved over the stock bumper.

The fairing pieces on the fenders are not attached to the bumper as the bumper is attached to the frame and flexes in a different mode than the fender. There is a small gap between the two which was rubbing on mine and causing a rattle. I adjusted it a bit by widening the gap on the trail and that seemed to take care of it. Everything else on the bumper seemed tight and trail-worthy. The brush guards are visible in the line of sight and I did observe them flexing, but no problems noted. The flex is actually less than I was expecting.

I didn't do any winching as I want to test the mounting first under controlled conditions with a load cell.

Well I ordered my bumper from Aluminess this past Mon. Hope it turns out great I've been chatting with michael as I pretty much wanted the same "expedition style" which provides more protection down by front suspension as I dont quite need the approach angles of the original design. Nevertheless the bumper has a nice design style.

Well I ordered my bumper from Aluminess this past Mon. Hope it turns out great I've been chatting with michael as I pretty much wanted the same "expedition style" which provides more protection down by front suspension as I dont quite need the approach angles of the original design. Nevertheless the bumper has a nice design style.

This is by mo means a rock crawler bumper. It is an Expedition/Ocerland bumper. Made to withstand the elements. Is it strong enough to handle a deer, brush, rocks and other vehicles, the answer is yes. Will it be stronger than steel, the answer is no. Most of us, are not going to be taking our trucks into major rocks with a 30k vehicle and if you are the type that will, go out and buy a Shrockworks or ARB. They are made out of heavy steel and will be able to handle rocks a little better.

So as a testament to Aluminess and their customer service, I was having issues with how close the bumper was to my grill/headlights. It is probably from a little mishap I had in the desert and I believe the bottom crossmember was bent in a little. Anyway, I called Aluminess and they said bring it down and after looking at it they fabbed up a couple plate spacers to change the distance and bada bing bada boom the spacing is perfect! These guys did this for no charge and told me if I had any further issues to feel free to contact them and they will do whatever it takes to satisfy me. The other thing that they said is if I break it they will replace it. Thats IF it breaks when I use it for winching or pulling someone out. Great customer service FTW!!!